Campus master plan points towards Pierce’s future

Besides buildings and parking lots, the arrows on the new campus signage point to another place: the future of Pierce College Puyallup.

The new signage, implemented this September, accounts for a piece of the campus master plan.

The plan is an all-encompassing look at the college, Pierce College Puyallup President Marty Cavalluzzi said. Infrastructure improvements such as heating and wiring, building remodels and new buildings are examples of what can be included in the plan.

“We think long term: here’s where we are now, what’s working well, what’s not working, what is it we need to fix and where is the college going? What do we want it to look like 10 years from now, 20 years from now?” Cavalluzzi said.

The purpose for the new signage is to help people find what they’re looking for. It’s also to create a friendlier campus to individuals such as prospective students, Jim Taylor, director of facilities and construction manager, said. Facilities executed this plan after approval, Taylor

said.

One sign, with a color-coded map for buildings and parking lots, can be found on the walkway from Parking Lot A to the College Center.

“We had very minimal signage when you came onto the campus, and it was just part of a long-term master plan for improvements to both of the college campuses,” Taylor said.

A renovation of the Pierce brick structured signs on College Way is in the campus master plan. These updated signs will feature a maroon background and graylettering.

Besides signage, the addition of a STEM building is also within the campus plan. 2023 is the earliest this building can be seen on campus, Cavalluzzi said. This building’s request to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will be made in December 2017 for the 2019-2021 biennium, as this process operates off a biennium. The last request was December 2015.

It’d take about four years for the building’s construction, which will be 70,000 square feet and cost about $40 million, Cavalluzzi said.

“When we do get that STEM building – because we have to have it – what will come out of the (Brouillet) Library/Science Building will be everything on that bottom floor, and it will go into that new building,” Cavalluzzi said.

As for the LSC, the plan is that it will be filled with many student services, such as the tutoring center.

The previous campus master plan, from 2002 to 2015, included plans for the building of the College Center, Garnero Child Development Center, Health Education Center and Arts and Allied Health Building.

“I know for a fact the next building, because it’s in our campus master plan, is that STEM building – that’s the next one we need,” Cavalluzzi said. “Then from there, it depends if it keeps growing. It doesn’t make sense to put a new building just because it’s in the campus master plan

if there’s no one to fill the space.”

Another building in the plan would serve as additional classroom space, though a program would likely be included in it.

Other items in the campus master plan include another Garnero Child Development Center classroom, a transit center, HEC gym and sports fields for baseball, fastpitch and soccer.

A remodel of the Gaspard Administration Building is also of interest and within the plan, as a building must be at least 20 years old to be remodeled, Cavalluzzi said. He’d like to see a student welcome center with services allowing students to sit and speak with someone instead of waiting in line.

Safety and security is another aspect of the campus master plan. This contributes to the lighting on campus and even the way the limbs are positioned for an increased sightline.

“If you’re walking on a sidewalk, you can see farther along so you’re not surprised if anyone’s walking down the sidewalk or anything,” Cavalluzzi said. “Part of it’s personal safety – but part of it is we want you to be safe and feel good about where you’re walking, and you can see where you’re going.”

Main elements in the campus master plan, such as lighting and wireless expansion, may transfer to the next plan. On Oct. 12 at the Board of Trustees meeting, one of the agenda items was for the Board of Trustees to review the series of projects for the upcoming campus master plan from 2016-2025.

“They’ll look over this campus master plan and have a month for feedback whether they accept it or not,” Cavalluzzi said. “Then in November they will vote, basically, to decide yes, we accept this campus master plan.”

In 100 years, Cavalluzzi expects each building on campus to be remodeled. There would also be multiple residence halls, he said.

“All the things we do, we’re just trying to fulfill our mission,” Cavalluzzi said. “We need to make sure that we’re doing what we say we’re going to do.”

The Puyallup Post is the award-winning student news of Pierce College Puyallup in Puyallup, Washington. Copyright The Puyallup Post 2017. Twitter/Instagram @puyalluppost